C1187 Delicious!

The stars shone brilliantly, showering the Lower Continent of Zekrica with their celestial glow.

Denise had crafted a castle, the most splendid of palaces, with an open dome resembling a funnel, catching the cascade of starlight.

A Starbeast, towering dozens of meters high in a crouching posture, had skin like a magnet capable of swallowing the brilliance of the stars. As the starlight descended from the dome, it vanished upon touching its hide.

The beast's crystalline bones acted like marvelous conduits, channeling the starlight into its two massive eyeballs.

At that moment, Denise of the Starborn, with a goblet in one hand sipping golden wine, and the other resting on the arm of her recliner, was intently observing the long-deceased Starbeast's eyeball.

One eye, as large as a watermelon, illuminated the villages where the Shadowkin, Voidweavers, enchantresses, and Moonlit Wanderers dwelled.

The other eye revealed the forbidden area spoken of by Mi Ting, bringing into view the figure of Yu Yuan.

Clearly, Denise's focus was fixed on the eyeball that displayed Yu Yuan.

She took a leisurely sip of wine, her lips curving into a delighted smile as she mused aloud, "He truly holds no reverence for me. Despite Mi Ting's warnings, he's determined to barge in."

Dogget, an eighth-level Starborn warrior, stood behind her like a towering pillar and said in a grave tone, "Your Highness, you should discipline him!"

"No, no, no," Denise shook her head, "You don't understand. Isn't it fascinating to have someone so audacious in Zekrica?"

Dogget furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Your Highness, surely you've noticed the unfamiliar apparatus he used for concocting his potions. If I'm not mistaken, that's a furnace, used by herbalists from the Everlands to craft pills!"

"You've noticed, and naturally, so have I," Denise replied, unfazed. "He mentioned he's from Zagreus. In the current Zagreus, there's a place established by the Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium where beings of other races can exchange for the artifacts they need."

"Are you suggesting he acquired it from the Skyreach Consortium?" Dogget mused, lost in thought.

"That's the only possibility."

As Denise spoke, she glimpsed Yu Yuan venturing deeper into the gaze of the Starbeast. He stood in the shadowy cave, transfixed by the scattered bones on the ground.

"It appears he's identified human remains." Denise's brow furrowed with concern.

"Human? There are human bones among these?"

Dogget was taken aback, his scream piercing the air before he regarded the noblewoman with a mix of bewilderment and horror.

He had come to Zekrica solely to fulfill his master's command to protect Denise.

Previously, Dogget had only heard snippets about the marvels of Zekrica from his master, without knowing the full details.

What he did know was that Denise, his master's daughter, was the favored child.

As the older sister, Denise had been covertly unearthing something since she assumed control of the Lower Continent in Zekrica.

Under her leadership, the Moonlit Wanderers, Shadowkin, enchantresses, and a few Voidweavers had been rapidly advancing, their might far surpassing that of the Stoneborn, Fire Lizard, and Silverscale Tribe of the Upper Continent.

Denise had always masterfully orchestrated the conflict between the continents, never fully revealing her hand.

Dogget recalled his master saying that if Denise wished, the Stoneborn, Fire Lizard, and Silverscale Tribe of the Upper Continent could have been decimated long ago, their villages turned to dust.

She could have claimed victory at any time; her brother was no competition.

Denise was, in truth, using Zekrica to search for something, to prove something.

At this moment, Dogget felt a chill as he processed Denise's odd words and gaze, sensing that the noble lady was engaged in some dreadful undertaking behind the scenes.

"Please, don't unleash anything too horrific that could result in untold devastation!"

...

Next to the cavernous depths.

Yu Yuan explored the area and discovered not only human skeletons but also those of the Lunarphite, lightning sable, and a few from the Crypt Clan.

Mortal bones, unfortified by special treatments, should be quite fragile.

What puzzled him was that if mortals had been massacred by alien beasts or Fellbeasts, given the power level of these creatures, they should have been able to effortlessly crush and digest the bones.

With this thought in mind, Yu Yuan crouched before a human skeleton and gently prodded it with his sword sheath, peering closely with his eyes. He observed tiny specks of green and black residue within the bones, clearly the remnants of toxins that the body had been unable to expel.

Yu Yuan had a sudden epiphany: many of these mortals had succumbed to poisoning. The toxins had infiltrated not only their flesh and organs but had seeped into their very marrow. Over time, the soft tissues decayed into blood, but the bones, laced with poison, remained.

Knowing the bones were toxic, the Fellbeasts and alien beasts wisely refrained from consuming them, leaving them to rest on the ground. The presence of the toxins had preserved the bones from disintegrating into dust.

"Everlands, mortals..." he murmured, his expression darkening with a troubling suspicion.

Given the might of the Everlands, the advanced warships, and the extraordinary beings within, it was inconceivable for such forces to abduct numerous mortals and then breach the wall to escape under the watchful eyes of the five supreme powers.

Throughout millennia, only a rare few Otherkin had managed to invade the Everlands and depart unscathed. The likelihood of Otherkin abducting mortals seemed negligible to him.

Could it be an inside job?

Shifting his perspective, Yu Yuan considered the possibility of trusted sects like the Thunder Sect or the Ethereal Void Sect. Using their profound skills to envelop a group of mortals in spiritual energy, they might break through the realm's wall and surge into the extraterrestrial Star River. The guardians stationed by the five supreme forces—powerful experts and archdemons alike—would likely overlook such an act.

It was improbable they would even consider it, as mortals were insignificant in the grand scheme of the Star River, barely qualifying as cannon fodder. Stripped of their protective spiritual energy, they would disintegrate into ash in an instant.

Survival was only conceivable within the Otherworld, also encased by the realm's wall. Yet, the frail bodies of human mortals made the Otherworld, a realm where even lower-tier Otherkin thrived, a nightmarish hellscape. One misstep could mean obliteration.

What purpose could there be in abducting mortals to the secluded realm of Zekrica?

Did the Starborn possess formidable experts? Were they intending to harness the mortals of the Everlands to concoct a poison specifically targeting the inhabitants of the Everlands?

A succession of bizarre notions cascaded through Yu Yuan's mind.

It took some time before Mi Ting of the Shadowkin managed to catch up, gasping for breath. She halted about ten meters from Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang, scanning the surroundings. A sigh of relief escaped her when she confirmed that no alien beasts or Fellbeasts were in pursuit.

As Mi Ting appraised Yu Yuan, he stood transfixed, gazing into the cavernous pit that might just lead to the Upper Continent.

After a moment's contemplation, Yu Yuan gently set Chen Qinghuang down from his back. Without paying heed to Mi Ting's watchful eyes, he approached the pit and peered into its depths.

Darkness enveloped the space below, and a chill wind caused Yu Yuan to shudder.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him, and faintly perceived the lamentations of ghosts and the piercing shrieks of malevolent spirits.

Inhaling deeply, the acupoint in his chest, opened by the Shadow Moon Essence, suddenly drew in a trace of Yin Qi from the abyss.

"Yin Qi?"

His spirit jolted, and Yu Yuan's eyes snapped open, his face etched with gravity.

After a brief hesitation, he retrieved a bottle of Soul Amplifier and consumed it. The burgeoning Soul Power filled his Lunar Spirit, prompting him to swiftly commence the Wraithbinding technique.

The moans and screeches from within the pit intensified to an overwhelming clamor.

Without the need for sight, his Lunar Spirit's perception revealed soul spirits roaring up from the depths, like ravenous dire beasts that had thirsted for blood over millennia, now sensing the presence of succulent prey.

A cruel, cold smile played upon Yu Yuan's lips.

Mi Ting, who had been intently observing him, shivered involitarily and retreated several steps.

In that moment, Yu Yuan turned to give Mi Ting a brief glance before spreading his arms and bracing against the cave's edge, submerging most of his body into the cavern.

The harrowing cries that could shatter the souls of cultivators beneath the Spirit Walk level resounded through Yu Yuan's Mindscape.

Yu Yuan was far from startled; instead, he was delighted. "Who's the real treat here? It's anyone's guess!" he mused to himself.

With an expression of sheer bliss, he watched as a procession of bizarre alien souls and malevolent spirits swarmed into his Mindscape. His Lunar Spirit morphed, first into a swirling vortex, then into a creature of fantasy with a humanoid form and eight spider-like legs protruding from its back.

One by one, the alien souls and evil spirits charged forward, only to vanish instantly into the phantasm conjured by Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit. Threads of cool Soul Power began to materialize within the ethereal form of his Lunar Spirit, weaving into delicate rivulets that meandered through his soul.

"In Zekrica, this shadowy cavern harbors a formidable Terra Fiend!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, baring his teeth in a grimace.

As he observed the natural thunder vortexes converging towards him from all directions, hovering in the air above him, his conviction grew stronger. Deep within the subterranean cave, there must indeed lie a Terra Fiend from the Everlands.

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